Infinity-gate: 38 staff sue Activision

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A group of former and current Infinity Ward employees have launched a lawsuit for between $75 million and $125 million against the developer's owner Activision.

A story on G4 details the suit, brought collectively by the 'Infinity Ward Employee Group'. The suit claims that Activision withheld bonuses and royalties for Infinity's smash hit Modern Warfare 2 "in an attempt to keep the employees hostage so that Activision could reap the benefit of the completion of Modern Warfare 3".

Activision, embroiled in an ugly PR mess with dozens of Infinity staff leaving the company, says the suit has "no merit".

Bruce Isaacs, an attorney for the 38 current and former employees who make up IWEG, told G4, "Activision has withheld most of the money to force many of my people to stay, some against their will, so that they would finish the delivery of Modern Warfare 3. That is not what they wanted to do. Many of them. My clients are entitled to their money. Activision has no right to withhold their money."

According to the lawsuit documents, $28 million has been paid to Infinity Ward employees, but it claims that $54 million is still due from 2009 profits. The suit alleges alleges "breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, violation of California labor code". It is seeking damages as well as the allegedly unpaid royalties and bonuses.